Adding captions in CapCut: the basic steps

Open your project in CapCut and tap the Text button at the bottom of the screen. Select Add Text, then type or paste your caption into the text box. Position it on your video by dragging it where you want it to appear, adjust the timing by moving the text layer on the timeline, and style it using the formatting options — font, size, color, and background. When you're done, export your video and the captions will be part of the final file.

CapCut handles captions differently depending on whether you're using the mobile app (iOS or Android) or the desktop version. The steps are similar, but the menu locations and available styling options vary slightly. This guide covers both, so you can follow along wherever you're editing.

Key Takeaways

  • Tap or click the Text button, select Add Text, type your caption, and position it on the timeline to control when it appears and disappears.
  • Use the formatting panel to change font, size, color, and add a background or outline to make captions readable over any video content.
  • CapCut's auto-caption feature can transcribe speech to text automatically, though you'll need to review and edit the results for accuracy.
  • Captions stay part of your video file after export, so anyone who watches it will see them — they cannot be turned off by the viewer.

Adding captions manually on mobile

Open your project and tap the Text button at the bottom toolbar. You'll see options including Add Text and Auto Captions. Tap Add Text to create a caption you type yourself. A text box will appear on your video — tap it and type your caption text directly.

Once you've typed the caption, you need to set when it appears and disappears. Look at the timeline at the bottom of the screen. The text layer will show as a colored bar. Drag the left edge to set when the caption starts, and drag the right edge to set when it ends. You can also drag the entire bar left or right to move it to a different time. Tap outside the text box when you're done editing the words.

To style the caption, tap it on the video itself, then tap the formatting icon (usually a paintbrush or "A" icon). You can change the font by tapping Font, adjust the size with the size slider, change the color, add a background, or add an outline. A background or outline makes captions readable even when they overlap bright or busy parts of your video.

Adding captions on desktop

In CapCut's desktop version, click the Text button in the left panel. Select Add Text from the dropdown. A text box will appear on your canvas. Click inside it and type your caption. The text layer will automatically appear on the timeline below.

Adjust the timing by clicking and dragging the edges of the text layer on the timeline, just as you would on mobile. To move the caption's position on the video, click and drag it directly on the canvas. The formatting panel appears on the right side of the screen — use it to change font, size, color, background, and effects. Desktop CapCut offers more font choices and styling options than the mobile version, including shadow and blur effects.

Using CapCut's auto-caption feature

CapCut can transcribe speech in your video to text automatically. On mobile, tap Text, then Auto Captions. On desktop, click Text and select Auto Captions. CapCut will analyze your video's audio and generate captions for the spoken words. This process can take a minute or two depending on your video's length.

After auto-captions are generated, review them carefully. Speech recognition is not perfect — it may misunderstand accents, background noise, or technical terms. Tap or click each caption to edit any errors. You can also delete captions you don't want, adjust their timing, or change their styling using the same formatting tools as manual captions. Auto-captions are a time-saver for longer videos, but manual review is always necessary.

Styling captions so they're readable

A caption that blends into your video background is useless. Use contrast to make captions stand out. If your video has bright areas, add a dark background or outline to your text. If your video is mostly dark, use light-colored text with a dark background or outline. CapCut's outline feature adds a thin border around each letter, which works well for readability without taking up much space.

Font choice also matters. Larger, bolder fonts are easier to read on small screens and at a glance. Avoid thin or decorative fonts for captions — save those for titles. Test your captions by playing back a section of your video at normal speed. If you have to squint or pause to read them, make them bigger or increase the contrast. Remember that people watching on phones will see smaller text than you do while editing on a larger screen.

Exporting video with captions

When you export your video from CapCut, captions are included in the final file by default. You don't need to do anything special — just tap or click Export and choose your resolution and format. The captions will be "burned in," meaning they become part of the video image itself and cannot be turned off by someone watching it.

This is different from subtitle files (like .srt or .vtt files), which viewers can toggle on and off. CapCut does not export separate subtitle files — captions are always part of the video. If you need a version without captions, you'll have to delete the text layers before exporting, or export twice: once with captions and once without.

Troubleshooting common caption problems

If your captions disappear when you export, check that the text layers are still on the timeline and haven't been accidentally deleted. If captions look blurry or pixelated, you may have made the text too large for your video resolution — try reducing the font size slightly. If auto-captions are missing words or sound garbled, your video's audio may be too quiet or have too much background noise. You can manually add or correct those captions by editing them individually.

If you're working on mobile and the text formatting panel doesn't appear, make sure you've tapped the caption on the video canvas itself, not just on the timeline. On desktop, click the text layer on the canvas to bring up the formatting options on the right. If captions are cut off at the edges of the screen, drag them to reposition them within the safe area of your video.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I export captions as a separate file from CapCut?

No. CapCut burns captions directly into the video file during export — they become part of the image and cannot be separated. If you need a subtitle file (.srt or .vtt) for uploading to YouTube or another platform, you'll need to use a different tool or manually create the subtitle file based on your captions.

Do captions I add in CapCut show up on YouTube?

Yes, because they're part of the video itself. However, YouTube also has its own caption system where you can upload separate subtitle files or let YouTube auto-generate captions. If you've already burned captions into your video in CapCut, YouTube's captions will appear in addition to yours, which can look cluttered. Consider uploading without YouTube's auto-captions if you've already added your own.

What languages does CapCut's auto-caption feature support?

CapCut's auto-caption feature primarily supports English on most devices. Support for other languages varies by region and app version. Check your app's settings or help section to see which languages are available on your device. For non-English videos, manual captioning or a third-party transcription tool may be more reliable.

Can I animate captions or make them appear one word at a time?

CapCut's mobile app has limited animation options for text. You can apply basic effects like fade-in or slide-in, but you cannot make individual words appear sequentially. The desktop version offers more animation options. For word-by-word animations, you would need to create each word as a separate text layer and time them individually, which is time-consuming for longer captions.

Will captions I add in CapCut work if someone watches my video offline?

Yes. Since captions are burned into the video file itself, they'll appear no matter how or where someone watches it — offline, on any device, in any app. The viewer cannot turn them off because they're part of the image, not a separate layer.